Baseball player starts equipment drive

Evan Matis, 8, shown Tuesday in Thibodaux, is collecting baseball equipment to distribute to kids in the community.

Abby Tabor/Staff

Kris JohnsonStaff Writer

Published: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 9:43 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 9:43 p.m.

Instead of pouting when his mom said it was time to clean his room, 8-year-old Chackbay Elementary student Evan Matis started brainstorming.

As a baseball player for the past three years, Evan had racked up lots of equipment, buried behind clothes and shoes in the back of his closet. He’s a member of the Cajun Chargers baseball team in Raceland.

“Mom, these are still good, and other kids could use them,” Evan said, creating a pile of at least six old bats still in good condition.

“He would ask for equipment for all the holidays. For Easter, he’d want a new bat. He wanted a new bat for Christmas. He wanted a new bat for his birthday,” said Amanda Matis, Evan’s mom.

“He said he wanted to help others, and I just told him that it’s a really good idea,” Amanda said.

Evan went on to suggest that collecting baseball equipment be an ongoing thing.

“We can keep collecting more and give them away,” he said.

That’s when the idea of Evan’s Baseball Drive was born.

“My son decided to collect used baseball equipment, clean it up and redistribute to kids in the Thibodaux area that need it,” Amanda said. “His goal is to collect at least 200 items in the next five weeks.”

Evan said he chose to help other kids instead of keeping it all to himself “because I have a lot of baseball equipment I really never use.”

So with help from his mom, Thibodaux Recreation Department Director Kevin Clement and former Major League Baseball player Scott Sanders, Evan will host the first drive from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Peltier Park Pavilion, 301 Peltier Park Road, Thibodaux.

“This is the first collection day,” Amanda said, “but there will be more.”

Evan said he’d like to collect many more items by the year’s end.

“I guess about 500 altogether,” he said.

Asked if he thinks there will be 500 kids who need baseball equipment, Evan said yes, with absolute certainty.

Staff Writer Kris Johnson can be reached at 857-2207 or kris.johnson@houmatoday.com. Follow her on

Twitter @krisLjo.

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